THE ABSENT

CRIPPLED HEARTS

SOLIDARITY WITH THE FLESH EATING MOSAIC AND OTHER POEMS by Raj Dronamraju

Out Now

THE RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT NINNY AND OTHER POEMS by Raj Dronamraju

My first book of poetry available through Amazon and other online booksellers www.rajbooks.com

Friday, December 20, 2013

A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT THE RIDICULOUS, UNFAIR, UNPRECEDENTED TREATMENT OF DEVYANI KHOBOGRADE

A few thoughts about the unprecedented
arrest of Indian Deputy General Counsel Devyani Khobograde in New York.

1.) In the past, diplomats
from South America and Arab countries have been detained for the same crime
involving domestic staff and their wages.
They were instructed to leave the country and were given 48 hours to do
so. This is the appropriate punishment
not the overreaction that occurred – Arresting Khobograde in front of her
daughter, strip searching and sexually assaulting her through cavity search
then throwing her into a cell with drug addicts.

2.) The maid in question
attempted to blackmail Khobograde prior to contacting the police. Her family in India was involved in this

3.) It is customary to pay a
domestic servant a chunk of money up front and then littler amounts once they
follow their employer to the country where they are posted. The USA may not like it but that is the policy
of a lot of other countries beside India.

4.) Trotting out naturalized
Indian American Preet Bharara, New York US Attorney, to defend this action just
looks cynical and cheap and doesn’t in anyway justify this overreach.

5.) Khobograde is of the
Dalit caste, traditionally the lowest caste in India, not a Brahmin, the
highest caste in India, as was misreported by some news outlets.

6.) Recently, the Indian
Supreme Court once again criminalized homosexuality which is something the USA objected to. Could this be payback for
that?

7.) If the USA can do
something unprecedented and against protocol like this India is well within its
rights to remove barricades from the front of the US embassy that slow up
traffic, kick out same sex partners of embassy/consular staff ( in keeping with
anti-gay supreme court decision), hold up special discounted shipments of
liquor and other goodies etc.

8.) The USA owes India a huge
apology. One thing that George W Bush,
an otherwise terrible president, did was wisely cement Indian relations at a
time when it was important but India is not America’s poodle and they don’t
have to go along with unfair treatment like this.